We all know the torment of long car journeys, and whilst summer may be over, there’s still the half term break coming up in addition to Christmas which inevitably involves a few long distance journeys to see relatives that live far away.
When you think about it, a long journey can be tedious enough for adults, yet when you throw in the need to keep your kids entertained it can feel like a torturous situation for all the family. You even hear tales of some families doping their children with low doses of sedative in order to ensure they sleep throughout the journey… this isn’t a recommendation, it’s more to highlight the challenge that many people face when it comes to keeping their kids entertained and keeping at bay the dreaded words “are we there yet?”
That said, whilst the use of pharmaceuticals isn’t recommended, tiring them out before a long journey or setting off early in the morning when they are sleepy due to their natural sleeping pattern can be a good idea.
Here are some practical ways to keep your sanity on long car journeys whilst also keeping your children entertained.
1. STOP OFF ALONG THE WAY
It can be tempting to drive straight down the motorway, and just stop off at a service station for a quick refreshment stop, but breaking the journey up in smaller sections with interesting stop-offs along the way can make for a much more pleasant and manageable experience.
Whilst it might not be the most fuel or time efficient approach, it adds significant value to your trip, and keeps spirits lifted.
2. KEEP YOUR CHILDREN ENTERTAINED
You want to ensure your child has plenty of activities to keep them engaged, that are ideally passive activities such as watching a film, colouring in, or playing their favourite game such as the FinalFantasyXVapp.com. Anything to avoid tedious games such as eye spy, for the entire journey, as after all - there really is a limit to how many things there are to spot on a motorway!
3. KEEP THE ADULTS ENTERTAINED TOO
The adults should be kept entertained too, as whilst the driver can at least focus on driving, adult passengers have very little to do and are in the same boat as the children. Of course, stimulating conversation and a few good tunes can be enough - but factor this in, as it’s equally as important.
4. TURN YOUR CAR INTO A KARAOKE BOOTH
Admittedly, this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re in the spirit for it, you can use an app such as Spotify to transform your car into a mobile karaoke booth. Take in turns to pick your favourite songs, and you can all enjoy a good old fashioned sing along.
5. LEARN A LANGUAGE
There are many apps such as Duolingo that allow people to learn languages, very easily, and if you’ve got a few hours to kill in a long car journey this could be a great way to learn a new language together as a family.
For some great tips on road tripping abroad visit Travel Loving Family.
*This is a collaborative post*